# NAME

Validation::Class::Plugin::FormFields - HTML Form Field Renderer for Validation::Class

# VERSION

version 0.34

# SYNOPSIS

    # THIS PLUGIN IS UNTESTED AND MAY BE SUBJECT TO DESIGN CHANGES!!!

    use Validation::Class::Simple;

    my $rules = Validation::Class::Simple->new(
        fields => {
            username => { required => 1 },
            password => { required => 1 },
            remember => { options  => 'remember' },
            notify   => { options  => 'notify' }
        }
    );

    my $fields = $rules->plugin('form_fields');

    printf "%s\n", $fields->textbox('username', placeholder => 'Username');
    printf "%s\n", $fields->lockbox('password', placeholder => 'Password');

    printf "%s Remember Me?\n", $fields->checkbox('remember');
    printf "%s Notify Me?\n",   $fields->checkbox('notify');

# DESCRIPTION

Validation::Class::Plugin::FormFields is a plugin for [Validation::Class](http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?Validation::Class)
which can leverage your validation class field definitions to render HTML form
elements. Please note that this plugin is intentionally lacking in
sophistication and try to take as few liberties as possible.

# RATIONALE

Validation::Class::Plugin::FormFields is not an HTML form handler, nor is it an
HTML form builder, renderer, construction kit, or framework. Why render fields
individually and not the entire form? Form handling is a heavily opinionated
subject and this plugin reflects the following perspective.

HTML form generation, done literally, has too many contraints and considerations
to ever be truly ideal. Consider the following, it's been tried many many times
before, it's never pretty, too many conflicting contexts (css, js, security and
identification), css wants the form configured a certain way for styling
purposes, js wants the form configured a certain way for introspection purposes,
the app wants the form configured a certain way for processing purposes, etc.

So why do we continue to try? HTML forms are like werewolves and developers love
silver bullets, but bullets are actually made out of lead, not silver. So how do
you kill werewolves with lead? Hint, not by shooting them obviously.

I'd argue that we never really wanted complete form rendering anyway, what we
actually wanted was a simple way to reduce the tedium and repetitiveness that
comes with creating HTML form elements and handling submission and validation
of the associated data. We keep getting it wrong because we keep trying to build
on top of the same misconceptions.

So maybe we should backup a bit and try something different. The generating of
HTML elements is alot less constrained and definately much more straight-forward.

# METHODS

## checkbox

The checkbox method initializes an HTML::Element checkbox object to represent a
checkbox in an HTML form. The value and checked attributes will be automatically
included based on the state of the validation class prototype; determined based
on the existence of the following: a parameter value, a field value, or field
default value. Note that if multiple values exist, only the first value will be
used.

    $self->checkbox('field_name', %attributes_list);

## checkgroup

The checkgroup method initializes an array of HTML::Element checkbox objects to
represent a list of checkboxes in an HTML form. The value and checked attributes
will be automatically included based on the state of the validation class
prototype; determined based on the existence of the following: a parameter value,
a field value, or field default value.

Please note that rendering is based-on the options directive and each checkbox
is appended with a span element containing the option's key or value for each
individual option. Please see the
["options directive"](http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?Validation::Class::Directive::Options) for additional
information.

    field_name => {
        options => [
            'Choice 1',
            'Choice 2',
            'Choice 3',
        ]
    }

    # or

    field_name => {
        options => [
            '1|Choice 1',
            '2|Choice 2',
            '3|Choice 3',
        ]
    }

    # then

    $self->checkgroup('field_name', %attributes_list);

## element

The element method returns the pre-configured HTML::Element object(s) for the
given field, or the last field operated on if no argument is passed.

    $self->element('field_name');

## hidden

The hidden method initializes an HTML::Element hidden-field object to represent
a hidden field in an HTML form. The value attribute will be automatically
included based on the state of the validation class prototype; determined based
on the existence of the following: a parameter value, a field value, or field
default value. Note that if multiple values exist, only the first value will be
used.

    $self->hidden('field_name', %attributes_list);

## lockbox

The lockbox method is an alias for the password method which initializes an
HTML::Element password-field object to represent a password in an HTML form.
The value attribute will be automatically included based on the state of the
validation class prototype; determined based on the existence of the following:
a parameter value, a field value, or field default value. Note that if multiple
values exist, only the first value will be used.

    $self->lockbox('field_name', %attributes_list);

## multiselect

The multiselect method initializes an HTML::Element selectbox object to
represent a selectbox with a list of options where multiple options may be
selected in an HTML form. The value and selected attributes will be automatically
included based on the state of the validation class prototype; determined based
on the existence of the following: a parameter value, a field value, or field
default value.

Please note that rendering is based-on the options directive and each option
element's contents contains the option's key or value for each individual option.
Please see the ["options directive"](http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?Validation::Class::Directive::Options) for
additional information.

    field_name => {
        options => [
            'Choice 1',
            'Choice 2',
            'Choice 3',
        ]
    }

    # or

    field_name => {
        options => [
            '1|Choice 1',
            '2|Choice 2',
            '3|Choice 3',
        ]
    }

    # then

    $self->multiselect('field_name', %attributes_list);

## password

The password method initializes an HTML::Element password-field object to
represent a password in an HTML form. The value attribute will be automatically
included based on the state of the validation class prototype; determined based
on the existence of the following: a parameter value, a field value, or field
default value. Note that if multiple values exist, only the first value will be
used.

    $self->password('field_name', %attributes_list);

## radiogroup

The radiogroup method initializes an array of HTML::Element radiobutton objects
to represent a list of radiobuttons in an HTML form. The value and checked
attributes will be automatically included based on the state of the validation
class prototype; determined based on the existence of the following: a parameter
value, a field value, or field default value.

Please note that rendering is based-on the options directive and each radiobutton
is appended with a span element containing the option's key or value for each
individual option. Please see the
["options directive"](http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?Validation::Class::Directive::Options) for additional
information.

    field_name => {
        options => [
            'Choice 1',
            'Choice 2',
            'Choice 3',
        ]
    }

    # or

    field_name => {
        options => [
            '1|Choice 1',
            '2|Choice 2',
            '3|Choice 3',
        ]
    }

    # then

    $self->radiogroup('field_name', %attributes_list);

## selectbox

The selectbox method initializes an HTML::Element selectbox object to represent
a selectbox with a list of options in an HTML form. The value and selected
attributes will be automatically included based on the state of the validation
class prototype; determined based on the existence of the following: a parameter
value, a field value, or field default value.

Please note that rendering is based-on the options directive and each option
element's contents contains the option's key or value for each individual option.
Please see the ["options directive"](http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?Validation::Class::Directive::Options) for
additional information.

    field_name => {
        options => [
            'Choice 1',
            'Choice 2',
            'Choice 3',
        ]
    }

    # or

    field_name => {
        options => [
            '1|Choice 1',
            '2|Choice 2',
            '3|Choice 3',
        ]
    }

    # then

    $self->selectbox('field_name', %attributes_list);

## textarea

The textarea method initializes an HTML::Element textarea-field object to
represent a textarea in an HTML form. The element's contents will be
automatically included based on the state of the validation class prototype;
determined based on the existence of the following: a parameter value, a field
value, or field default value. Note that if multiple values exist, only the
first value will be used.

    $self->textarea('field_name', %attributes_list);

## textbox

The textbox method initializes an HTML::Element textbox object to represent a
textbox in an HTML form. The value attribute will be automatically included
based on the state of the validation class prototype; determined based on the
existence of the following: a parameter value, a field value, or field default
value. Note that if multiple values exist, only the first value will be used.

    $self->textbox('field_name', %attributes_list);

## render

The render method renders-and-returns pre-configured HTML::Element object(s)
for the given field, or the last field operated on if no argument is passed.
This method is called automatically when the object is used in scalar context.

    $self->render('field_name');

# AUTHOR

Al Newkirk <anewkirk@ana.io>

# COPYRIGHT AND LICENSE

This software is copyright (c) 2011 by Al Newkirk.

This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.
